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Socializing Your New Puppy
from:The handling and training period early on in a puppy's life has
been referred to as the process of "socialization", and for all
practical purposes it equates to teaching the animal how to
interact and get along with animals and people in their
surroundings. There is no responsibility greater during the
development years of that dog than the role that the owner plays
in developing and nurturing the canine/human relationship. I am
not trying to mimic Dr. Ruth or Sigmund Freud, but I am trying
to emphasize the importance of the socialization process, and
the consequences of not performing it properly.
The first rule of thumb is that dogs are extremely social
animals. But breeds were not originally designed that way.
Seeing as how they were descended from wolves, they were
genetically designed in such a manner so as to provide them with
the greatest opportunity for survival. This will help you
understand their behavior and consequently, their needs. It
follows then, that if you study the concept of how "the pack"
functions, then you will understand why the socialization
process is so critical. You are altering the dog's social
genetics so that they have no problems with interaction in
society.
The second rule of thumb for socializing your new puppy is that
handle them as much as possible, depending on the breed of dog
and the size that it attains. Since they are bred to be social,
chances are that you will not have to be concerned with how they
interact with other dogs, unless of course they were isolated
during the whelping period. This is not a very common scenario,
but it does happen on rare occasions for a variety of reasons
that we won't go into at this point.
Despite the fact that dogs are now bred to interact with humans,
it is important to find out if the breeder allowed them the
opportunity to do so in the whelping period. An example of the
variations here would be comparing dogs of the guardian breeds
to those of the companion breeds. The guardian dog's personality
is skittish, oftentimes to the point of aloofness, and they tend
to be suspicious of strangers. This is where handling them as
puppies become so important. You don't want them to develop into
an overly aggressive or over-protective mindset.
Another example is the Terrier breed. Characteristically, this
smaller breed of dog tends to be very feisty and have a high
drive, therefore needing to wear a tee shirt that states
"Caution: does not play well with children and others." The same
holds true with breeds that are fearful and shy --- they need
extra TLC and handling to get through this stage.
As they grow, and the concept of going for a walk enters the
picture, it will involve getting them accustomed to wearing a
collar. The aspect of having something they are not used to
around their necks usually starts with the first trip to the
vets office for their first series of vaccinations.
Remember that lives vary from owner to owner. Therefore,
socializing your new puppy could involve living with small
children and learning how not to overreact to the noise and
scuffling that occur around them. Or it could involve teaching
them not to be underfoot if and when there are elderly family
members present. It's all a matter of the environment that they
will be living in.
About the author:
Alexey Baskakov is a dedicated expert on pets and canine health.
Check out his dog supplies site for more information on how to keep your best friend healthy.
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